Nigeria General Election 2023: Drama At National Collation Centre As PDP, Other Party Agents Fault INEC, Allege Massive Manipulation of Results
As Nigerians in the diaspora wait and anticipate the outcome of the Nigeria General Election 2023 conducted on Saturday, February 25th, 2023, several politicians have expressed concerns about the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as the collation of results began in essence.
Meanwhile, there is palpable tension at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, as different party agents at the National level, including the Party agent of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Sen. Dino Melaye and Chief Emeka Ihedioha, the National party agents for PRP, Mohamed, APC, among others have raised dust in the procedures of the collation.
Consequent to the development, Senator Dino Melaye has argued that where there are discrepancies in figures of the accredited and cast votes resulting in a surplus of votes, there should also be rectification and corrections before the continuation of the procedures.
Melaye further stated that the various results from local governments in each state must be uploaded and shown on the Screen before them during the presentation to ensure transparency and accountability.
He maintained that unless the right thing is done, they would not accept the results and would defend themselves in a due course.
Citing Section 16 Subsection 64, 2012 Electoral Act as amended the collated results must be uploaded so that the veracity of the procedures must be ascertained from the ward level to the State and National level.
He said “Failure to respond to us they will see what we are going to do. The INEC chairman is putting his integrity at stake. Nigerians are watching, the world are watching and even the world are watching and we must do everything to make sure that the anomalies are put on hold.”
Also reacting, another PDP agent, Chief Emeka Ihedioha affirmed that there were reports of some party agents being compelled to compromise during the collations at different states and the only way to correct and maintain the purpose of the process, the results must be displayed on different Screens for them to observe and assessed.
Ihedioha, however, insisted that there should be transparency else the aim of the exercise would be defeated.
The high point of the session has been filled with the dramatic increase in the agitation of Senator Dino Melaye, who stood up so aggrieved to stop the ongoing collations until the issues at stake are addressed.
Recall that some top politicians including the vice presidential candidate under the Labour party, LP, Senator Shehu Sani, among others have expressed concerns about the circumstances surrounding the ongoing collation of results of the Nigeria General Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
